Tulare County Biographies
HIRAM KELSEY
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm
One of Visalia's substantial citizens was Hiram Kelsey, who passed away August
8, 1907. He was born in Logan county, Ohio, December 10, 1829, his ancestors
having been pioneers of Kentucky and also among the first settlers of Ohio. In
1799 his grandfather, John Kelsey, moved from the former state to Warren county,
forty miles north of Cincinnati, when his son Abner, father of Hiram, was but
six months old. In this section Abner Kelsey spent his youth, and here he
reached his majority, wedded Miss Nancy Purdy, a native of Genesee county, N.
Y., whose mother, Miss Brown before her marriage, was a native of Scotland.
Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kelsey, nine of whom grew to maturity;
but two, however, are now living. Both husband and wife lived to a good old age,
ninety-one and eighty, respectively.
In 1852 Hiram Kelsey crossed the plains to California and prospected for a time
in Placer county, later moving to the San Jose valley, where he conducted a
farm. In 1854 he returned to Placer county and engaged in the butcher business,
securing his beef from the well-known Todd brothers, cattle dealers of Napa
valley. In addition to his profitable trade, Mr. Kelsey's income from his mine
ventures was not inconsiderable. After three years in this location he returned
east, where he married Miss Jemima Hill, and with his bride located on an Iowa
farm, where they resided seven years, and where three of their children were
born: Isadora May (now Mrs. George A. Butz), Harlan W. and Minnie R. (wife of
Frank R. Kellenberg of Visalia). As a proof of his popularity and executive
ability, Mr. Kelsey was elected three times to serve as supervisor while
residing in Marion county, Iowa. Later he disposed of his farm and took his
family to Michigan, where they resided two years, moving, in 1886, to Missouri.
Their youngest son, John W., was born in California, and in 1873 the family came
to Visalia, where Mr. Kelsey engaged in business and where his conscientious
principles and wide sympathies, soon recognized by his fellow citizens, were
able to find adequate expression during his service of two years as health
officer. Later he established a butcher shop in Tulare, and in 1887 retired from
active life, spending his last days in Visalia. For many years Mr. Kelsey was
the oldest member of the Knights of Pythias, and upon his death was mourned by a
large number of friends who appreciated his genial, kindly nature and his keen
sense of justice.
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches -
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913, Pp 861-862